The Tattooist Of Auschwitz is a powerful drama series as it is set in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak, Melanie Lynskey and Jonas Nay will star in Peacock and Sky Atlantic's adaptation of Heather Morris’ bestselling novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz (opens in new tab).
The drama follows the real-life story of Slovakian Jew Lale Sokolov (Hauer-King) who is imprisoned in Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland during World War Two, where he is given the role of tattooing identification numbers on the arms of his fellow prisoners.
While doing so, Lale meets a young woman called Gita (Anna Próchniak) and their beautiful love story sees them both find light in the bleakest of places. Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) will play New Zealand author Heather Morris, to whom Lale told his story after Gita’s death, while Jonas Nay is Stefan Baretzki, the original tattooist who recruited Lale as his apprentice.
“It is a huge privilege to be telling Lale’s incredible story — one that he was so courageous to share,” says Jonah Hauer-King. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for his ability to find humanity and kindness in the most inhumane of places. These scripts heartbreakingly and vividly depict this appalling time in our history, and I feel proud to be honoring Lale and Gita’s remarkable journey.”
Here’s everything you need to know about The Tattooist Of Auschwitz, which promises to be heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measure...
The Tattooist Of Auschwitz release date
Sky and Peacock Original drama The Tattooist Of Auschwitz launches in 2024 on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK, Ireland, Italy and Germany. In the US the series will become available on NBC Universal streaming service Peacock.
STAN, Australia’s leading local streamer is taking the Original rights to the series in their territory, with VIAPLAY taking Viaplay Series rights for Nordics (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the Netherlands and Poland.
What is the plot of The Tattooist of Auschwitz?
The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Jewish prisoner in Poland's infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War TwoI, who is given the task of tattooing identification numbers on his fellow prisoners’ arms. One day he meets Gita while tattooing her prison number, and so starts a courageous love story where both must take unfathomable risks in order to be together, survive and help their fellow prisoners. Lale later told his story to author Heather Morris (opens in new tab), who turned the tale into a bestselling novel.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz cast — Jonah Hauer-King as Lale Sokolov
Jonah Hauer-King plays Jewish captive Lale, who must tattoo his fellow prisoners in Auschwitz concentration camp. Jonah will soon be seen playing Prince Eric in the live-action Disney movie The Little Mermaid. He's previously starred in BBC1 dramas World on Fire and Howard’s End. He’s also had roles in Little Women, A Dog’s Way Home, Old Boys, Once Upon A Time in Staten Island and The Flatshare.
Anna Próchniak plays Gita Furman.
Anna Próchniak is playing Lale’s kind and brave girlfriend Gita. The Polish actress has also starred in Baptiste, The Innocents, Warsaw ’44 and Oleg.
Anna says; “Reimagining Gita Sokolov and her story for screen has been one of the greatest honours of my career so far, as well as a heartrending experience. I know this won’t be an easy story to tell, but I will treat their story with the utmost respect."
Melanie Lynskey as Heather Morris
Melanie Lynskey plays author Heather Morris who turned Lale’s story into a bestseller. Her acting debut was in the film Heavenly Creatures and she’s gone on to star in Yellowjackets, The Last of Us, Don’t Look Up, Young Sheldon and Two and a Half Men. She’s also starred in Coyote Ugly, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Castle Rock and Candy.
Melanie says: “After the horrors experienced at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the continuation of Lale and Gita Sokolov’s story is finding their new home, and it was years later in Australia Lale felt comfortable to share his story with New Zealand author Heather Morris. As a New Zealand storyteller in my own way, it is a privilege to be a part of the furthering of Lale’s and Gita’s heart-breaking, yet heart-warming story."
Jonas Nay as Lale’s mentor Stefan Baretzki
Jonas Nay plays the concentration camp’s original tattooist Stefan who enlists Lale’s help. The German actor has also been in the Deutschland 83, 86, 89 series, Line of Separation, The Accidental Rebel and The Four of Us.
Is there a trailer for The Tattooist Of Auschwitz?
As The Tattooist Of Auschwitz has only recently started filming there's no trailer just yet. We'll update here when it arrives.
